Successful applicants will pitch their solutions to SITA and the finalist stands to receive up to GBP 25,000 in seed funding from Innovate UK Global Alliance Africa* and will collaborate with SITA on a trial project.

Although many systems are available for large airports, they are not economically or technologically feasible for smaller facilities with less complex infrastructure and more limited resources.

Tackling a pressing challenge

The goal is to achieve a one-fifth reduction in CO2 emissions and wasted resources caused primarily by the use of aircraft auxiliary power units (APUs) when the aircraft is stationary and being serviced between flights.  

"With the aim of generating concrete emissions reductions, this challenge directly contributes to sustainability efforts, vital to a climate-sensitive region like Africa. And the benefits of optimizing aircraft turnaround times don't end there, with research showing that reducing turnaround times by just 10 minutes can lead to a 2 percent saving in related operating costs. This is crucial in Africa, where demand for air transport is set to double over the next 15 years, but where connectivity between markets is often inadequate and airlines struggle to make a profit amid infrastructure inefficiencies," said SITA President for Middle East and Africa, Selim Bouri.

Operational efficiency as a priority

Many regional African airports are unable to efficiently capture and analyse data for aircraft turnaround. This can lead to operational delays, congestion, and missed flight connections. Current processes will leave smaller airports unable to cope with the expected rise in traffic.  Innovative solutions such as the ones called for in this challenge, boost the efficiency of ground operations such as disembarkation, cargo and baggage unloading, refuelling, and more, helping reduce congestion and ultimately fuel burn.

Innovative solutions are needed

Babar Javed, Open Innovation Lead for Innovate UK Global Alliance Africa, said, "We are pleased to be working with SITA's enthusiastic team to find innovative solutions to cut emissions and improve efficiency at regional African airports. Our Open Innovation programme has an excellent track record of working with African partners to find solutions to their technical challenges, and we are looking forward to doing the same here for SITA and their aviation associates, by connecting them with global innovators."

Proposed solutions should be scalable, with real-time functionality, as well as measurable and capable of processing the limited data collected by smaller airports. The selected solution will initially be trialled in either South Africa, Nigeria or Kenya.

Entries can engage with any suitable touchpoint (hardware, software, device, infrastructure, and more) and are invited from, but not limited to, the following sectors:

•                Aviation

•                Transport

•                Telecoms

•                Digital

•                Creative

•                AI and Blockchain

•                Machine Learning and Computer Vision

•                Data

•                Design

•                Sensors

•                Imaging

•                Business intelligence and Forecasting

Benefits for participants

In addition to the seed funding, successful entrants will benefit from SITA's technical support and sector expertise from Innovate UK. They will also receive support in the development of a prototype or pilot, invitations to participate in Innovate UK events or further competitions, as well as introductions to investors (if investment is required).

Key Dates

·       Entry Deadline: 25 October 2024

·       Finalists Announced: November 2024

·       Pilot Activation: January 2025

For more details and entry guidance, visit the challenge website.

*Subject to Terms & Conditions